FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C., Feb. 8, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges and an asset freeze against an individual living in Illinois and two companies behind an investment scheme defrauding foreign investors seeking profitable returns and a legal path to U.S. residency through a federal visa program.
The SEC alleges that Anshoo R. Sethi created A Chicago Convention Center (ACCC) and Intercontinental Regional Center Trust of Chicago (IRCTC) and fraudulently sold more than $145 million in securities and collected $11 million in administrative fees from more than 250 investors primarily from China. Sethi and his companies duped investors into believing that by purchasing interests in ACCC, they would be financing construction of the "World’s First Zero Carbon Emission Platinum LEED certified" hotel and conference center near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Investors were misled to believe their investments were simultaneously enhancing their prospects for U.S. citizenship through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Pilot Program, which provides foreign investors an avenue to U.S. residency by investing in domestic projects that will create or preserve a minimum number of jobs for U.S. workers.
The SEC alleges that Sethi and his companies falsely boasted to investors that they had acquired all the necessary building permits and that several major hotel chains had signed onto the project. They also provided falsified documents to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) — the federal agency that administers the EB-5 program — in an attempt to secure the agency’s preliminary approval of the project and investors’ provisional visas. Meanwhile, Sethi and his companies have spent more than 90 percent of the administrative fees collected from investors despite their promise to return this money to investors if their visa applications are denied. More than $2.5 million of these funds were directed to Sethi’s personal bank account in Hong Kong.
Swift coordination between the SEC and USCIS has brought the scheme to a halt in its application stage at USCIS. The SEC filed its complaint under seal earlier this week and obtained an emergency court order to protect the remaining $145 million in investor assets that were at risk of being similarly misappropriated by Sethi and his companies. The case was unsealed this morning.
"Sethi orchestrated an elaborate scheme and exploited these investors’ dream of earning legal U.S. residence along with a positive return on their investment in a project that was not nearly the done deal that he portrayed," said Stephen L. Cohen, Associate Director in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. "The good news is that working closely with USCIS, we intervened early and stopped him from getting very far, and the asset freeze preserves nearly all of the money invested."
According to the SEC’s complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the EB-5 program enables foreign investors to possibly qualify for a green card if they invest $1 million (or $500,000 in a "Targeted Employment Area" with a high unemployment rate) in a project that creates or preserves at least 10 jobs for U.S. workers, excluding the investor and his or her immediate family. Sethi and his companies used the lure of a pathway to U.S. citizenship to convince investors to wire a minimum of $500,000 apiece plus a $41,500 "administrative fee" to U.S. bank accounts. These administrative fees are separate from the investment capital that the EB-5 program requires to be deployed into a job-creating enterprise. More than $11 million in administrative fees were collected with the claim that they were fully refundable to investors if their visa applications are rejected. Sethi and his companies have instead been spending those funds.
The SEC alleges that Sethi submitted false claims about the project to USCIS. Among the phony documentation that he provided to the agency in seeking preliminary approval for the project under the EB-5 program were a comfort letter from Hyatt Hotels and a backup financing letter from the Qatar Investment Authority.
The SEC’s complaint alleges that Sethi and his companies made a number of misrepresentations about the project to dupe investors. Offering materials stated that investors’ funds would help build "a convention center and hotel complex, including convention and meeting space, five upscale hotels, and amenities including restaurants, lounges, bars, and entertainment facilities." Sethi and his companies prominently featured in their marketing materials the purported participation of three major hotel chains in the project: Hyatt, Intercontinental Hotel Group, and Starwood Hotels. However, none of these hotel chains have executed franchise agreements to include a brand hotel in this project as represented to investors in the offering materials. Two of the chains actually terminated prior deals with other Sethi-related entities more than two years before these offering materials were circulated to investors.
The SEC further alleges that the offering materials falsely stated that construction would begin in summer 2012 and occupancy of the first tower would occur in early spring 2014. A search of the Chicago Building Permits database for the project address shows that the only recent permits are for a tent for a purported groundbreaking ceremony held in November 2012, a demolition permit, construction of a fence, and a minor electrical wiring permit.
According to the SEC’s complaint, the 29-year-old Sethi misrepresented to investors in offering materials that he has "over fifteen years of experience in real estate development and management, specifically in the lodging area." Offering materials also misleadingly state that the project’s developer Upgrowth LLC has "more than 35 years of experience." Illinois corporate records show that Upgrowth was just recently organized in 2010.
The SEC’s complaint alleges that Sethi, ACCC, and IRCTC violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. In addition to the temporary restraining order and asset freeze granted by the court, the SEC’s complaint seeks permanent injunctions and other monetary relief.
The SEC’s investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Mika M. Donlon and Adam J. Eisner under the supervision of C. Joshua Felker. Patrick M. Bryan will lead the litigation. The SEC acknowledges the substantial assistance of the USCIS.
Monday, February 11, 2013
U.S. NAVY ADMIRAL LOCKLEAR SAYS PACIFIC TERRITORIAL DISPUTES COULD END IN CONFLICT
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| Equestrian statue of the famous samurai Kusunoki Masashige (1294-1336) outside of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Credit: CIA World Factbook. |
Locklear Warns of Territorial Disputes Escalating to Conflict
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2013 - Amid reports of an incident between China and Japan near the Senkaku Islands, the top U.S. commander in the Asia-Pacific reiterated the need to resolve territorial disputes peacefully and to develop a code of conduct to support the process.
Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, told the U.S. Indonesia Society in Jakarta, Indonesia, yesterday that territorial disputes have occurred throughout history and will undoubtedly continue into the future.
But the admiral warned during a media roundtable about the stress these disputes inflict on the security environment – and the potential they pose for conflict if not resolved.
Nations of the world need to come together to settle their differences over parts of the South China Sea and other contested areas diplomatically so they don't escalate, he said.
Military conflict "would have global impacts that we should not even contemplate," he warned. "We should not even allow it to enter into our dialogue ... and not allow it to happen."
The United States does not take sides in border disputes, he emphasized, but will continue to do everything in its power to support steps being taken by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and others to promote peaceful resolution.
Locklear didn't get into specifics when asked about reports that a Chinese navy warship targeted a Japanese warship with its weapons radar near the Senkaku Islands last month. He said, however, that it rings a warning bell about how quickly territorial differences can turn dangerous.
"There must be real care in ensuring that the governments involved and leadership of those governments understand the potential for miscalculation if those systems are used incorrectly," he said.
The U.S. perspective to both Japan and China, he said, is that "we need to be very, very careful in ensuring we don't see escalation that could lead to miscalculation that could lead to unintended consequences."
Locklear reiterated his call for a code of conduct that provides a framework for resolving these differences. He expressed hope that ASEAN and nations in the region including China will "feel a sense of urgency" and reinvigorate the stalled discussions toward reaching one.
"The question is, can we have a system of rules that allows us to work together with this with diplomacy rather than military power?" he said
Establishing this code "will give diplomacy breathing room and give diplomacy time to work, because it will take some time," he said.
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION DUNCAN RECOGNIZES SCHOOL COUNSELORS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION February 8, 2013
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement today, recognizing National School Counseling Week, Feb. 4-8, 2013.
Every day, caring and dedicated professionals across this country engage in the often unrecognized work of school counseling. This week in particular, I want to recognize these trained educators, who help millions of young people sidestep the roadblocks of life and circumstance to become successful students and, ultimately, reach their full potential.
The role of school counselors is growing increasingly demanding and it continues to change. Not only are counselors charged with finding innovative and effective ways to provide students with academic and career guidance, counselors also are called upon to help support students’ social and emotional wellbeing, which is essential for them to thrive. Particularly in light of recent traumatic events in schools, including the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, this role is more important than ever to create and maintain a healthy school climate and ensure that students feel safe and supported as they learn and grow.
Increasingly, counselors are working in new ways – embracing the importance of data on graduation rates, FAFSA completion, and college enrollment rates to better prepare students to access and persist in higher education. It is this type of work that will help our nation to reach the President’s goal of leading the world in college graduates by 2020.
Last week, I met with counselors who have been honored as finalists in the School Counselor of the Year Award program. These finalists remind us of the extraordinary work that is being led by counselors across the country to address the needs of the whole child.
By collaborating with students, staff, parents and the community, counselors are finding better ways to support children and help their families to access vital academic, mental health and social services. For these efforts, we salute them.
SHIP EXHAUST SEEN FROM SPACE
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| Credit: NASA. |
FROM: NASA
For more than a decade, scientists have observed ship;s tracks in natural-color satellite imagery of the ocean. These bright, linear trails amidst the cloud layers are created by particles and gases from ships. They are a visible manifestation of pollution from ship exhaust, and scientists can now see that ships have a more subtle, almost invisible, signature as well.
Data from the Dutch and Finnish-built Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on NASA’s Aura satellite show long tracks of elevated Nitrogen Oxide levels along certain shipping routes. NO2, is among a group of highly-reactive oxides of nigrogen known as NOx, that can lead to the production of fine particles and ozone that damage the human cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Combustion engines, such as those that propel ships and motor vehicles, are a major source of NO2 pollution.
For Full Article With References Visit Nasa Photo Images.
UNMANNED VEHICLES AND MILITARY TARTET PRACTICE
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| The explosive ordnance device ground crew attach a target to an unmanned vehicle at Melrose Air Force Range, N.M., Feb. 4, 2013. The unmanned vehicle is a new piece of equipment recently acquired by Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. Its remote-control capabilities allow the squadrons to practice shooting at a moving target without putting any human life in danger. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom) |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Cannon debuts latest in moving target technology
by Airman 1st Class Ericka Engblom
27th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs
2/8/2013 - CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Explosions shake the air as a white truck, almost invisible through the dust and smoke, weaves its way across Melrose Air Force Range, N.M., towing a target being shot at by 40mm rounds from aircraft patrolling the sky.
Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., tested the latest in unmanned vehicle technology, Feb. 4.
The newly acquired $180,000 remote-controlled truck, guided by a Global Positioning System, is being used by the 27th Special Operations Wing to train aerial and ground crews in combat operations.
"This moving target will provide a much more realistic training environment for our Air Commandos," said Col. Buck Elton, 27 SOW commander. "It is the first of its kind to be used in Air Force Special Operations Command."
The GPS controlled Ford F-250, is able to start, stop, drive in various patterns and tow a target without a human presence in the cab.
This capability not only allows Cannon air crews to practice shooting at a moving target, but will also be used by ground crews to simulate multiple aggressive hostile situations.
"The truck can be used to aggress an area and provide a persistent threat up to a point," said Maj. Ian Frady, 27th Special Operations Air Operations Squadron, deputy range manager. "However, 98 percent of what it will be used for is aerial moving target practice."
Though in its initial testing phase, members who control the range training program are optimistic about the training potential the truck will provide in the future.
"This is an unparalleled tool," said Frady. "We cannot wait to bring teams from other wings in AFSOC out to Cannon so they can train with the vehicle. It opens up a new and unique training opportunity for us. We really cannot express how excited we are about this
Sunday, February 10, 2013
ROCK DRILLING ON MARS SIMULATION VIDEO
FROM: NASA
Simulation of Martian Bedrock Drilling
This animation depicts NASA's Mars rover Curiosity drilling a hole to collect a rock-powder sample at a target site called "John Klein." Credit-NASA-JPL-Caltech.
Coast Guard, National Guard Prep for Winter Storm
Coast Guard, National Guard Prep for Winter Storm: With a major winter storm bearing down on the Northeastern U.S., the Coast Guard is making sure its boats are mission ready and up to 6,000 National Guardsmen are available if needed for storm response.
FAREWILL TO LEON PANETTA AFTER FIVE DECADES OF PUBLIC SERVICE
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| President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, joined by Sylvia Panetta, review troops during the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Secretary Panetta, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson in Arlington, Va., Feb. 8, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) |
Panetta Reflects on His Public Service During Farewell Tribute
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2013 - Retiring Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta expressed his gratitude today for all those he served with through five decades of public service to the nation during his farewell ceremony here.
The Armed Forces Farewell tribute, hosted by President Barack Obama, and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, drew a distinguished audience of current and former military and government leaders as Panetta reflected on his career.
"It's been 50 years of public service, and I ... will always cherish the deep and lasting friendships that I've made here in Washington," Panetta said. "I'm extremely grateful that so many of those friends could be here this afternoon."
"I have spent a long time in this town," he said. "As the son of immigrants ... I have truly lived the American dream. Being an Italian-American in Congress, at senior levels in the executive branch, has been for me a very unique experience."
Panetta said he is still impressed by the sight of the Capitol and the White House at night, calling it a "very special experience." He thanked the president for giving him a chance to lead the Defense Department.
"Mr. President, I want to express my deepest thanks to you for the opportunity to serve this country again as a member of your administration," he said.
"It has been a tremendous honor and a tremendous privilege these past four years, and especially now as the 23rd secretary of defense," Panetta said.
"I hope that in some small way I have helped to fulfill the dream of my parents, the dream that they wanted and the dream that all of us want, of giving our children a better life," he said.
Panetta recalled some of the proudest moments of his career and some of the experiences and memories he will cherish.
"I will never forget the pride and exhilaration when I walked out of the White House after the president announced the success of the bin Laden operation," he said.
"I could hear the chants of those people who were gathered around the White House and in Lafayette Park yelling, 'USA, USA,'" Panetta said. "Thank you, Mr. President, for your strong support in what was a very tough decision. The memory of that operation and the team that helped put it together, both the intelligence team and the military team, will be with me forever."
The defense secretary said he'll remember visiting deployed troops on bases around the world, and "looking into the eyes of brave men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day for this country."
Panetta cited moments where he honored veterans of past wars, and was inspired by wounded warriors returning home from war.
"I'll always remember the moments of grief, when this nation has rendered final honors to our fallen heroes and when we've had to comfort their families," he said.
"Writing notes of condolence to those families who have lost loved ones has been for me one of my toughest jobs," Panetta said. These moments of selflessness, courage and sacrifice, and heroism provide optimism and a renewed sense of pride in our country.
Panetta said he would have "no greater honor" in his life than leading the men and women of the U.S. military as secretary of defense, serving alongside Dempsey and the Joint Chiefs.
"As we used to say when I was in the Army, there isn't anyone I'd rather be in the foxhole with than Marty Dempsey," he said. "I cannot tell you what a privilege it has been to work with you and to work with all of the service chiefs."
"We've dealt with some very tough issues, and there is no way that I could have done this job without your support, without your loyalty, and without your dedication," Panetta said.
Panetta noted he and the chairman have testified before Congress 11 times and held 10 press conferences together since assuming leadership of the Pentagon.
"It has been the honor of my life to have served in the position of secretary of defense," he said. "And wherever I go and whatever I do, I will thank God every day for the men and women in this country who are willing to put their lives on the line for all of us."
"My prayer as I leave," Panetta said, "is that we all have the same courage and dedication to protecting our nation, the United States of America, the home of the free and the brave."
OBSERVATION EARTH
FROM: NASA
LDCM-A New Era in Earth Observation
NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) is the eighth satellite in the Landsat series, which began in 1972. The mission will extend more than 40 years of global land observations that are critical in many areas, such as energy and water management, forest monitoring, human and environmental health, urban planning, disaster recovery and agriculture. NASA's Launch Services Program will launch the LDCM spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
THREE CHARGED WITH FRAUD IN ALLEGED CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY SCHEME
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONSEC Charges We The People, Inc., of The United States and Three Individuals In Offering Fraud Scheme
On February 4, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed complaints in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in connection with an offering fraud conducted by We The People, Inc. of the United States ("We The People"), a purported charitable organization based in Tallahassee, Florida.
In its complaint against Richard Olive, We The People’s former chief of program services, and Susan Olive, We The People’s former chief of finance and administration, the Commission alleges that the Olives, husband and wife, orchestrated a fraudulent scheme that raised more than $75 million from approximately 450 investors located across the United States, most of whom were senior citizens. Investors were solicited to transfer assets to We The People in exchange for what it called a charitable gift annuity. The Commission alleges that We The People – through the Olives – lured investors by making various false and misleading statements regarding, among other things, the value of the products sold and the safety and security of the investments. The complaint also alleges that the Olives failed to disclose to investors indictments and regulatory sanctions issued against them for fraudulently selling similar products. In addition to the misrepresentations, the Commission alleges that the Olives misappropriated investor funds for personal use.
The complaint alleges that, based on this conduct, Richard and Susan Olive violated, or aided and abetted the violation of, Sections 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 ("Securities Act"), and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The complaint also claims that the Olives violated Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act, and Section 15(a) of the Exchange Act. The Commission seeks that the Olives be permanently enjoined, and be ordered to pay disgorgement plus pre- and post-judgment interest, and third-tier civil money penalties.
In addition, the Commission filed settled actions against We The People and William Reeves, We The People’s in-house counsel. Without admitting or denying the Commission’s allegations, We The People consented to a final judgment providing injunctive relief under Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the Securities Act, and Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, disgorgement, and the appointment of a receiver to protect the more than $60 million of investor assets still held by We The People.
Without admitting or denying the Commission’s allegations, Reeves consented to a final judgment providing injunctive relief under Sections 5(a), 5(c), 17(a)(2) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act, and providing that the Court will determine issues relating to the imposition of a civil money penalty against him at a later date. Reeves also agreed to a suspension from appearing or practicing before the Commission as an attorney, with the right to apply for reinstatement after 5 years. Reeves entered into a cooperation agreement with the Commission, and the terms of his settlement reflect his assistance in the Commission’s investigation and anticipated cooperation in its pending enforcement action.
OUT-GOING NATO COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN IS CONFIDENT ABOUT THE FUTURE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSEAllen 'Very Confident' About Afghanistan's Future
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 10, 2013 - There are measures of success every day in Afghanistan and the out-going commander of NATO's International Security Assistance Force is very confident of victory.
Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen spoke to reporters traveling with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shortly before turning over command to Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. Allen has been nominated to be the next Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Allen said he is "very confident" that NATO and their Afghan partners are on the right trajectory. "We have seen some really heroic level activities occur here in just the last year," Allen said. "What happened last summer was unbelievable when you think about it. We shipped home 23,000 troops during the fighting season. We shifted from a main force strategy that relied on U.S. and ISAF combat formations to one where the (Afghan National Security Forces) were in the lead – an ANSF that was still being built while it was expanding its operations in the combat zone."
At the same time, NATO closed 600 bases in Afghanistan.
Today, another 10,000 U.S. troops have been withdrawn and Afghan forces are almost entirely in the lead for security throughout the country. Afghan government forces have taken ground, they have held ground already taken and they are forcing the Taliban to launch attacks farther and farther away from centers of population, he said.
Commanders have repeatedly stressed that there will not be a victory parade ending hostilities in Afghanistan, rather it remains a counterinsurgency battle and leaders measure progress incrementally. "Every day, there is another lamination of accomplishment," he said. "There is no decisive battle in the Napoleonic sense, just every day these laminations contributing to the end state."
The general said he is comfortable the trajectory is moving in the right direction. Allen is however concerned about a lag in efforts by the Afghan government to put structures in place to build on counterinsurgency efforts.
Still, the country has come a long way. Afghanistan has been in serious conflict for 33 years, with much of its infastructure destroyed which will take time and money to rebuild. "The school system was devastated," Allen said.
The good news is the international community has pledged to help. During NATO meetings in Lisbon and Chicago, NATO and partner nations pledged to stay with Afghanistan through this transition. In Tokyo and Bonn, nations pledged money to help Afghanistan overcome generation of tragedy. Nations understand what one of the world's poorest countries needs and have pledged a "decade of transformation."
One upcoming benchmark will be the presidential election set for April 2014. The 352,000 members of the Afghan national security force will secure the vote. "The international community is very clear that it will judge the success of what we have done by the transparency and inclusiveness of the Afghan population. We've been very clear on this: the international community is in this to a point, but we aren't in this to a fault," Allen said.
That contest he says, will be a true test of Afghanistan's progress. "The rhetoric has to be matched by real and meaningful reform. Reform that reduces the capacity of the criminal patronage networks to grip and weaken the institutions of the state." Reforms must also guarantee the rights of minorities and women, Allen said.
Donor nations must have the strategic patience, but there has to be demonstrated performance, he said.
Allen is less concerned about the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan post-2014 than he is about the capabilities needed in the country.
PENTAGON OFFICIAL WORRIES ABOUT BUDGET CUTS
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| Credit: U.S. DOD |
DOD Official: Cuts, Lack of Budget Form 'Nightmare Scenario'
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2013 - Major across-the-board defense spending cuts set to kick in March 1 and the possibility of the government operating under a continuing resolution instead of a budget for the rest of the year pose a "nightmare scenario" for the Defense Department, a senior Pentagon official said in New York this week.
Frank Kendall, deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told participants in the Cowen Aerospace and Defense Conference, that the cuts -- mandated by a "sequestration" mechanism in budget law that will take effect unless Congress intervenes -- translate to $50 billion over the rest of fiscal year 2013.
"There are a couple of problems in here," Kendall said. "One is, obviously, the size of the cut. ... Another problem is the way the cut has to be taken -- it's basically each budget account. Each line item has to take about a 9 percent or 10 percent hit."
The continuing resolution, Kendall added, is another aspect of the department's problem.
"If we end up under a year-long continuing resolution, we have serious problems there as well," he said. "The total number that we're using is based on [fiscal 2012], which actually is a little bit better number than our [fiscal 2013] request. The problem is where the money is."
Officials expected readiness accounts to go up, Kendall explained, but they cannot go up under sequestration.
"There's a big shortfall in readiness," he noted. "The services, particularly the Army and the Marine Corps, are very disturbed about this. A large fraction of the units that are in the cycle to go Afghanistan will not be ready when the time comes."
The cuts will hit close to home, he added, and those defending the nation away from home.
"It's people not flying. It's ships not steaming. It's maintenance not being done. ... It's units not being trained to go to war," Kendall said. "I think it's utterly unconscionable to put our people who are so dedicated out there into that kind of position."
Still, Kendall maintained, Defense Department officials will do everything possible to protect units that are deploying sooner and to sustain current operations. Officials also are trying to protect personnel accounts, he said.
"We are protecting military people -- they're not going to have a cut," Kendall said. "But our civilians are essentially all going to take a 20 percent pay cut for the last half year, give or take" if nothing changes.
Kendall noted that the post-Cold War drawdown occurred under much different circumstances.
"We took a huge amount of force structure out. We took a lot of money out of our other accounts. But ... that was a hugely different world [and] national security environment that we were living in," he said. "And there was a good reason to take the force structure down.
"We're not in that situation today," he continued. "We are getting out of Afghanistan, so we'll be bringing the ground forces down, in particular, because of that. But the rest of the situations in the world that we deal with have not changed.
The undersecretary noted that massive cuts loom for the Defense Department amid a national security environment that includes al-Qaida's activity in Africa, unrest in Syria, the unpredictability of Iran and North Korea, and the modernization of the Chinese and Russian militaries.
The undersecretary said that as part of the need for deficit reduction, Pentagon officials developed a new strategy that would accommodate spending reductions of about $50 billion for 10 years.
"That would have to be done again under sequestration if sequestration were actually implemented for the full 10 years," he added.
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT CONDEMNS SATURDAYS TERRORIST ATTACK IN IRAQ
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Terrorist Attack on Camp Hurriya in Iraq
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 9, 2013
The United States condemns in the strongest terms the vicious and senseless terrorist attack that took place this morning at Camp Hurriya killing 6 people and injuring dozens more. We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and hope for the swift recovery of those who were injured.
We understand the Government of Iraq has undertaken to promptly investigate the attack. We call on it to earnestly and fully carry out that investigation and to take all appropriate measures to enhance the security of the camp consistent with its commitment and obligation to the safety and security of the camp's residents. The terrorists responsible for this attack must be brought to justice.
We are consulting with the Government of Iraq and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on the circumstances surrounding this tragedy, and we remain committed to assisting the Government of Iraq and UNAMI in their efforts to implement the December 25, 2011 agreement.
Terrorist Attack on Camp Hurriya in Iraq
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 9, 2013
The United States condemns in the strongest terms the vicious and senseless terrorist attack that took place this morning at Camp Hurriya killing 6 people and injuring dozens more. We offer our condolences to the families of the victims and hope for the swift recovery of those who were injured.
We understand the Government of Iraq has undertaken to promptly investigate the attack. We call on it to earnestly and fully carry out that investigation and to take all appropriate measures to enhance the security of the camp consistent with its commitment and obligation to the safety and security of the camp's residents. The terrorists responsible for this attack must be brought to justice.
We are consulting with the Government of Iraq and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on the circumstances surrounding this tragedy, and we remain committed to assisting the Government of Iraq and UNAMI in their efforts to implement the December 25, 2011 agreement.
2013 WINTER STORM IN NEW ENGLAND
FROM: NASA
Two Systems Become One Historic Blizzard
Two low pressure systems merged over New England around midnight (EST) on Feb. 9, 2013. This animation of NOAA's GOES-13 satellite imagery from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9 shows the two systems coming together and creating a blizzard of historic proportions in New England. On Feb. 9 at 4 a.m. hundreds of thousands of people were without power in Massachusetts alone. Credit: NASA GOES Project
EATING ON THE FLY: FOOD FOR PILOTS
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| U.S. Air Force graphic/Airman 1st Class Drew Buchanan |
Fueling the high flyers - U2 tube food calms cravings in the cockpit
by Senior Airman Shawn Nickel
9th Reconnaissance Wing Public Affairs
2/7/2013 - BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Pureed peach cobbler, chicken-a-la-king, key lime pie, or even the classic sloppy joe in a metallic tube don't compare to a home cooked meal, but U-2 pilots say the food they eat while flying long missions is delicious.
While wearing a fully pressurized suit, pilots aren't able to open the visors on their helmets and have limited range of motion to feed themselves while wearing their bulky yellow equipment. To overcome these challenges, America's highest flying aviators use tube food, a specialized method of eating.
Similar to the size of a tube of toothpaste, these metallic containers are fitted with a plastic straw designed to slip through a sealed port on each pilot's helmet. The port does not to affect the pressure of the suit and is also used for hydration.
The tube meals come from an Army research laboratory in Natick, Mass. Expert chefs and nutritionists craft these meals, which are then turned into a paste the consistency of baby food.
"We've been making these for years and years," said Dan Nattress, a food technologist with Combat Feeding. Combat Feeding has been supplying tube food to U-2 pilots for five decades and is constantly adding new flavors.
While technicians from the 9th Physiological Support Squadron assist pilots into their full pressure suits, they ask for their food preference.
"Depending on the duration of the flight, each pilot is different," said Staff Sgt. Suzzett Stalesky, 9th PSPTS suit technician. "Some pilots take the same thing every flight, and some are still trying to find what agrees with their body during a flight."
Stalesky said pilots usually eat one tube an hour. They can have the classics like beef stroganoff and applesauce, or more exciting options to give them a little "kick" like chocolate pudding with enough caffeine to satisfy any coffee addict.
"It's not like having a few cups of Starbuck's coffee, but it's pretty close," said an Air Force major with the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron, whose favorite flavor is pasta Bolognese.
So what is the favorite dish among the most seasoned U-2 pilots?
Stalesky said caffeinated chocolate pudding and chicken-a-la-king takes the cake.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
THE NOR'EASTER APPROACHES AS SEEN FROM SPACE
FROM: NASA
Powerful Nor'easter Coming Together
A massive winter storm is coming together as two low pressure systems are merging over the U.S. East Coast. A satellite image from NOAA's GOES-13 satellite on Feb. 8 shows a western frontal system approaching the coastal low pressure area.
The satellite image, captured at 9:01 a.m. EST, shows clouds associated with the western frontal system stretching from Canada through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, into the Gulf of Mexico. The comma-shaped low pressure system located over the Atlantic, east of Virginia, is forecast to merge with the front and create a powerful nor'easter. The National Weather Service expects the merged storm to move northeast and drop between two to three feet of snow in parts of New England.
Credit: NASA
GEN. DEMPSEY SAYS MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN DETERMINES TROOP NUMBERS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan Mission Will Determine Troop Numbers, Dempsey Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Feb. 9, 2013 - The mission in Afghanistan will determine the number of American troops who will still be deployed there after 2014, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
Military leaders are confident that the number will match the mission. "I will not at any point ask 10,000 troops to do 20,000 troops work," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters.
Dempsey is flying to Afghanistan for the change of command ceremony from Marine Corps Gen. John Allen to Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford.
Dunford will be the last commander in Afghanistan of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the last commander of Operation Enduring Freedom when the mission ends in December 2014. He will preside as the Afghan forces take the lead for security and will command as U.S. forces draw down in the country. There are currently 66,000 American service members in Afghanistan.
As Dunford takescommand, he has to keep three things in careful equilibrium, the chairman said. These are keeping the pressure on al-Qaida and other transnational terror groups seeking to operate in Afghanistan, training Afghan security forces, and redeploying U.S. and NATO forces out of the country.
NATO and partner forces – including U.S. service members – will be leaving the country through the end of 2014 in a steady and gradual manner. This spring Afghan forces will be in the lead for security throughout the country. "As that occurs, there will be some force structure changes that grow from that decision," Dempsey said.
But it is more complicated than simply loading personnel on planes and flying them back to the United States. "There's never a flip of a switch," the chairman said.
Not all Afghan forces have the same capability. In some areas kandaks – Afghan battalions – may need help. Elsewhere, kandaks may be trained, but the higher headquarters may need assistance. "You may be training a kandak in one part of the country and brigades and corps in another, just because the developmental model is different," he said.
The enemy has a say in Afghan plans. The Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, has decreed that he wants the Taliban to make 2013 an intense year, the chairman said. "But here's what's different, the situation this summer – the first summer where Afghan security forces are in the lead – that intensity will be directed principally at them," the chairman said.
The Taliban taking on Afghan forces rather than Western personnel changes the political, internal discourse in Afghanistan. "We'll have to see how it changes it," he said.
This shift to Afghan control is already happening. Afghan security forces are in the lead in protecting more than 75 percent of the population. And there are results from that, Dempsey said. "One vignette: Every Sunday, John Allen has a memorial service outside his headquarters to remember the soldiers who were lost in the past week," the chairman said. "This past Sunday was the first service he held since he was commander where there wasn't a single ISAF ... soldier killed in action. First week in 19 months. However, there were 25 Afghan soldiers killed."
This summer the Taliban will test the Afghan soldiers and police. U.S. service members will help the Afghan forces in the summer fighting season. They will not only provide their Afghan brethren physical support, but psychological support as well, and this will build the Afghan's self-esteem. "What really hangs in the balance now is the confidence level of the Afghan security forces and its people," he said. "We have to continue building their confidence, because they are capable fighters."
Defense leaders have matched the number of troops to the mission. Dempsey called this a collaborative and thorough effort. "We didn't start talking numbers until we had a clear understanding of missions," he said. The missions for the post-2014 period are: some continued counter terror effort against transnational global threats; to train, advise and assist Afghan troops; and to provide support to other U.S. government agencies working in the country.
"Once we settled in on the missions, then we were able to provide options on how to accomplish them," he said. For example, it requires a different number of personnel to train an Afghan kandak than an Afghan brigade. Figuring out what units need what help "illuminates what the numbers should be," the chairman said. "So we're not going from number to mission, we're going from mission to number."
Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan remains crucial to any solution in the region, and Dempsey said he has "seen a degree of interest and cooperation on the part of our Pakistani military counterparts that is actually quite encouraging," he said. "They finally believe we are not going to shut out the lights and leave at the end of '14. They see a viable partnership among them, us and the Afghans."
Cooperation, which was always good at the tactical level, has climbed a notch to the operational level. It also helps that Pakistani leaders now assess the terrorist threat to the nation closer to the American view.
Dempsey is optimistic that the Bilateral Security Agreement between Afghanistan and the United States will be in place this year. Protections for U.S. troops under the agreement do not seem to be the same showstopper that they were in Iraq, he said.
Reporters asked about the "zero option" for U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014. "I have said publically no one has ever mentioned zero to me, and I would never recommend zero," Dempsey said.
Ultimately political reconciliation between the Taliban and the Afghan government will be what ends the war in Afghanistan. While there are no active negotiations now, the Taliban are talking among themselves about this, the chairman said. "As they talk among themselves, their behavior appears to be migrating toward being a political factor in Afghanistan's future and less a internal security threat," he said.
This does not mean peace will suddenly break out in the nation. "There will be irreconcilable parts of the Taliban that are just so ideologically skewed that the idea of any concessions is just anathema to them," he said. "On the other hand, I think there will be portions that will be willing to be part of the political landscape and not part of the security landscape."
Afghan Mission Will Determine Troop Numbers, Dempsey Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Feb. 9, 2013 - The mission in Afghanistan will determine the number of American troops who will still be deployed there after 2014, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
Military leaders are confident that the number will match the mission. "I will not at any point ask 10,000 troops to do 20,000 troops work," Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters.
Dempsey is flying to Afghanistan for the change of command ceremony from Marine Corps Gen. John Allen to Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford.
Dunford will be the last commander in Afghanistan of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the last commander of Operation Enduring Freedom when the mission ends in December 2014. He will preside as the Afghan forces take the lead for security and will command as U.S. forces draw down in the country. There are currently 66,000 American service members in Afghanistan.
As Dunford takescommand, he has to keep three things in careful equilibrium, the chairman said. These are keeping the pressure on al-Qaida and other transnational terror groups seeking to operate in Afghanistan, training Afghan security forces, and redeploying U.S. and NATO forces out of the country.
NATO and partner forces – including U.S. service members – will be leaving the country through the end of 2014 in a steady and gradual manner. This spring Afghan forces will be in the lead for security throughout the country. "As that occurs, there will be some force structure changes that grow from that decision," Dempsey said.
But it is more complicated than simply loading personnel on planes and flying them back to the United States. "There's never a flip of a switch," the chairman said.
Not all Afghan forces have the same capability. In some areas kandaks – Afghan battalions – may need help. Elsewhere, kandaks may be trained, but the higher headquarters may need assistance. "You may be training a kandak in one part of the country and brigades and corps in another, just because the developmental model is different," he said.
The enemy has a say in Afghan plans. The Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, has decreed that he wants the Taliban to make 2013 an intense year, the chairman said. "But here's what's different, the situation this summer – the first summer where Afghan security forces are in the lead – that intensity will be directed principally at them," the chairman said.
The Taliban taking on Afghan forces rather than Western personnel changes the political, internal discourse in Afghanistan. "We'll have to see how it changes it," he said.
This shift to Afghan control is already happening. Afghan security forces are in the lead in protecting more than 75 percent of the population. And there are results from that, Dempsey said. "One vignette: Every Sunday, John Allen has a memorial service outside his headquarters to remember the soldiers who were lost in the past week," the chairman said. "This past Sunday was the first service he held since he was commander where there wasn't a single ISAF ... soldier killed in action. First week in 19 months. However, there were 25 Afghan soldiers killed."
This summer the Taliban will test the Afghan soldiers and police. U.S. service members will help the Afghan forces in the summer fighting season. They will not only provide their Afghan brethren physical support, but psychological support as well, and this will build the Afghan's self-esteem. "What really hangs in the balance now is the confidence level of the Afghan security forces and its people," he said. "We have to continue building their confidence, because they are capable fighters."
Defense leaders have matched the number of troops to the mission. Dempsey called this a collaborative and thorough effort. "We didn't start talking numbers until we had a clear understanding of missions," he said. The missions for the post-2014 period are: some continued counter terror effort against transnational global threats; to train, advise and assist Afghan troops; and to provide support to other U.S. government agencies working in the country.
"Once we settled in on the missions, then we were able to provide options on how to accomplish them," he said. For example, it requires a different number of personnel to train an Afghan kandak than an Afghan brigade. Figuring out what units need what help "illuminates what the numbers should be," the chairman said. "So we're not going from number to mission, we're going from mission to number."
Afghanistan's neighbor Pakistan remains crucial to any solution in the region, and Dempsey said he has "seen a degree of interest and cooperation on the part of our Pakistani military counterparts that is actually quite encouraging," he said. "They finally believe we are not going to shut out the lights and leave at the end of '14. They see a viable partnership among them, us and the Afghans."
Cooperation, which was always good at the tactical level, has climbed a notch to the operational level. It also helps that Pakistani leaders now assess the terrorist threat to the nation closer to the American view.
Dempsey is optimistic that the Bilateral Security Agreement between Afghanistan and the United States will be in place this year. Protections for U.S. troops under the agreement do not seem to be the same showstopper that they were in Iraq, he said.
Reporters asked about the "zero option" for U.S. troops in Afghanistan after 2014. "I have said publically no one has ever mentioned zero to me, and I would never recommend zero," Dempsey said.
Ultimately political reconciliation between the Taliban and the Afghan government will be what ends the war in Afghanistan. While there are no active negotiations now, the Taliban are talking among themselves about this, the chairman said. "As they talk among themselves, their behavior appears to be migrating toward being a political factor in Afghanistan's future and less a internal security threat," he said.
This does not mean peace will suddenly break out in the nation. "There will be irreconcilable parts of the Taliban that are just so ideologically skewed that the idea of any concessions is just anathema to them," he said. "On the other hand, I think there will be portions that will be willing to be part of the political landscape and not part of the security landscape."
YEMENI GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES IRANIAN-SUPPLIED WEAPONS CACHE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Yemeni Government Investigation into Iranian-Supplied Weapons Cache
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 9, 2013
The United States commends the Government of Yemen for its successful and significant interdiction of a vessel attempting to smuggle a large cache of Iranian-supplied weapons, explosives, and other munitions into Yemen. At a press conference in Sana’a earlier today, Yemeni Government officials noted that their investigation thus far shows that these weapons were loaded onto the vessel in Iran and were intended for armed insurgents operating in Yemen. Yemen’s decision to bring this incident to the attention of the United Nations Security Council underscores its vigilance in countering threats to its sovereignty, its ongoing political transition, and the region’s stability.
According to Yemeni Government officials, their initial investigation has revealed that the vessel was carrying a large shipment of explosives, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, IED precursors, and most disturbingly, man-portable anti-aircraft missiles. These weapons are clearly designed to cause significant damage with the highest possible number of casualties and are a threat to both Yemen and the region. Paragraph 5 of UNSCR 1747 expressly prohibits Iran from exporting arms and related material, and, in light of this evidence, the United States encourages the UN Sanctions Committee to respond immediately to the Yemeni Government’s request to send a Panel of Experts to examine the seized weapons and bring its findings to the Security Council.
The origin of the vessel and weapons underscores Iran’s ongoing evasion of six relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Iran continues to defy the international community through its proliferation activities and support for destabilizing action in the region. The international community must continue to speak with one voice and work to ensure that Iran adheres to all of its international obligations.
Yemeni Government Investigation into Iranian-Supplied Weapons Cache
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 9, 2013
The United States commends the Government of Yemen for its successful and significant interdiction of a vessel attempting to smuggle a large cache of Iranian-supplied weapons, explosives, and other munitions into Yemen. At a press conference in Sana’a earlier today, Yemeni Government officials noted that their investigation thus far shows that these weapons were loaded onto the vessel in Iran and were intended for armed insurgents operating in Yemen. Yemen’s decision to bring this incident to the attention of the United Nations Security Council underscores its vigilance in countering threats to its sovereignty, its ongoing political transition, and the region’s stability.
According to Yemeni Government officials, their initial investigation has revealed that the vessel was carrying a large shipment of explosives, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, IED precursors, and most disturbingly, man-portable anti-aircraft missiles. These weapons are clearly designed to cause significant damage with the highest possible number of casualties and are a threat to both Yemen and the region. Paragraph 5 of UNSCR 1747 expressly prohibits Iran from exporting arms and related material, and, in light of this evidence, the United States encourages the UN Sanctions Committee to respond immediately to the Yemeni Government’s request to send a Panel of Experts to examine the seized weapons and bring its findings to the Security Council.
The origin of the vessel and weapons underscores Iran’s ongoing evasion of six relevant UN Security Council resolutions. Iran continues to defy the international community through its proliferation activities and support for destabilizing action in the region. The international community must continue to speak with one voice and work to ensure that Iran adheres to all of its international obligations.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA OUTLINES PROBLEMS OF BENGHAZI RESPONSE
 |
| Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta testifies on the Defense Department's response to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2013. Testimony also included the findings of the department's internal review following the attack. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Panetta: Distance, Time Affected Benghazi Response
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2013 - Better intelligence and closer interagency cooperation can help to prevent future crises like the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.
Speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Panetta said an exhaustive review of the Benghazi events has established the Defense Department responded appropriately to the attacks.
"This was, pure and simple, a problem of distance and time," he said.
"The interagency response was timely and appropriate, but there simply was not enough time given the speed of the attacks for armed U.S. military assets to have made a difference," Panetta told the senators, quoting the Accountability Review Board's findings.
The secretary and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the committee in what may be Panetta's last appearance before Congress as defense secretary. Since the attacks, he noted, DOD has fully supported Congressional and State Department efforts to review the actions and decisions surrounding the events in Benghazi.
"The Department of Defense and the rest of the United States government spared no effort to do everything we could to try to save American lives," said Panetta, noting that two service members were part of the six-man team that evacuated Americans there within 12 hours of the initial attack.
"There will always be a tension between mission effectiveness for personnel -– that ability to get out and do what they're supposed to do in these countries -- and their physical security," he noted. "We are committed to steps that avoid a 'bunker mentality' and yet still afford greater protection from armed attack."
Panetta said DOD is taking a three-pronged approach to help prevent future attacks on U.S. diplomats and facilities by strengthening host-nation security capabilities, increasing security measures and enhancing intelligence and military response options.
"We have to be able to better assess and build up the capabilities of host governments to provide security," he said.
While the military doesn't have primary responsibility for security at U.S. diplomatic missions, he added, "where permissible and appropriate, and in collaboration with the Secretary of State and the U.S. chief of mission in the affected country, we believe that the Defense Department can assist in their development of host-nation forces using a range of security assistance authorities to train and equip these forces."
DOD also is supporting the State Department's efforts to harden facilities and reassess diplomatic security, the secretary said. Teams have evaluated 19 vulnerable diplomatic facilities, including the U.S. Embassy in Libya, he added, and officials are in the process of developing recommendations on potential security increases as required.
Over the next two to three years, he said, the Defense Department will assign nearly 1,000 additional Marines to diplomatic security detachments. There are 152 such detachments in place today, the secretary noted, and 35 more will stand up.
Officials also are focused on enhancing intelligence collection and ensuring that U.S. forces throughout the region are prepared to respond to crises, if necessary, Panetta said. He emphasized that the U.S. military is not a global emergency-response service, and troops need good intelligence information to operate effectively.
"We have forces on alert, and we're prepared to move, but our ability to identify threats, to adjust posture, to prevent plots and respond to attacks to our personnel at home and overseas depends on actionable intelligence, and it always will," he said.
Therefore, the secretary said, the Defense Department is working to enhance intelligence collection, improve the responsiveness of contingency assets and adjust the location of reaction forces.
"At the same time, we're working closely with State to ensure they have our best estimate of response times for each at-risk diplomatic facility, so that they can make the best informed decisions about adjustments to their staff presence in areas of increased security threat," he added.
Panetta closed his statement with a reminder to the committee that he sees budget uncertainty as the greatest security risk facing the nation.
With a "sequestration" mechanism in budget law set to trigger major across-the-board spending cuts March 1, he noted, DOD could lose about $500 billion in funding over the next decade, on top of the $487 billion spending cutback already planned.
"I know the members of this committee share the deep concerns that I have raised about sequestration, and I urge you to do the responsible thing and avoid weakening our national defense," he said.
Congress, DOD, the State Department and the intelligence community all have a responsibility for the nation's security, Panetta noted.
"If we work together, we can keep our Americans safe," he said.
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS SECURITY DETERIORATING IN NORTH DARFUR
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| Map: Sudan (Darfur and Jebel Marra). Credit: CIA World Factbook. |
Rapid and Significant Deterioration in Security in North Darfur and Jebel Marra
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 8, 2013
The United States is profoundly concerned by violent clashes between heavily armed tribal militias in North Darfur and between Sudanese government forces and rebels in Jebel Marra. Recent violence has resulted in civilian deaths and displaced some 100,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance.
In just the first month of 2013, more civilians have been newly displaced by violence in Darfur than in all of 2012. To meet the humanitarian needs of those affected by these clashes, we call on the Sudanese government to grant UN agencies unrestricted access to all areas of Darfur, and to work closely with UN agencies, humanitarian actors, and the African Union - United Nations Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) to deliver assistance.
We urge the Sudanese government to urgently disarm militias in Darfur, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1556; to cease aerial bombardments; and to implement the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur as the basis for a more inclusive and effective peace process.
U.S. DOJ REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH MACMILLAN IN E-BOOKS CASE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE ANTITRUST DIVISIONDepartment Continues to Litigate Against Apple Inc.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, and will continue to litigate against Apple Inc. for conspiring with Macmillan and four of the other largest U.S. book publishers to raise e-book prices to consumers.
Today's proposed settlement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. If approved by the court, the settlement will resolve the department's competitive concerns involving Macmillan. The department's Antitrust Division previously settled its claims against four book publishers–Hachette Book Group Inc., HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C., Penguin Group (USA) Inc. and Simon & Schuster Inc.
On April 11, 2012, the department filed a lawsuit against Apple and the five publishers alleging they conspired to eliminate retail price competition, resulting in consumers paying millions of dollars more for their e-books. The settlement with Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster was approved by the court in September 2012. The public comment period on the department's settlement with Penguin will close on March 5, 2013. The trial against Apple is scheduled to begin in June 2013.
"As a result of today's settlement, Macmillan has agreed to immediately allow retailers to lower the prices consumers pay for Macmillan's e-books," said Jamillia Ferris, Chief of Staff and Counsel at the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division. "Just as consumers are already paying lower prices for the e-book versions of many of Hachette's, HarperCollins' and Simon & Schuster's new releases and best sellers, we expect the prices of many of Macmillan's e-books will also decline.
"According to the complaint, the five publishers and Apple were unhappy that competition among e-book sellers had reduced e-book prices and the retail profit margins of the book sellers to levels they thought were too low. To address these concerns, the department said the companies worked together to raise retail e-book prices and eliminate price competition, substantially increasing prices paid by consumers. Before the companies began their conspiracy, retailers regularly sold e-book versions of new releases and bestsellers for, as described by one of the publisher's CEO, the “wretched $9.99 price point." As a result of the conspiracy, consumers were typically forced to pay $12.99, $14.99 or more for the most sought after e-books, the department said.
Under the proposed settlement agreement, Macmillan will immediately lift restrictions it has imposed on discounting and other promotions by e-book retailers and will be prohibited until December 2014 from entering into new agreements with similar restrictions. The proposed settlement agreement also will impose a strong antitrust compliance program on Macmillan, including requirements that it provide advance notification to the department of any e-book ventures it plans to undertake jointly with other publishers and regularly report to the department on any communications it has with other publishers. Also for five years, Macmillan will be forbidden from agreeing to any kind of most favored nation (MFN) provision that could undermine the effectiveness of the settlement.
Macmillan has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as Farrar, Straus and Giroux and St. Martin's Press. Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH owns Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC, which does business as Macmillan, and has its principal place of business in Stuttgart, Germany.
Hachette Book Group USA has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through its publishers such as Little, Brown and Company and Grand Central Publishing.
HarperCollins Publishers L.L.C. has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as Harper and William Morrow.
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as The Viking press and Gotham Books. Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of The Penguin Group, a division of Pearson plc, which has its principal place of business in London.
Simon & Schuster Inc. has its principal place of business in New York City. It publishes e-books and print books through publishers such as Free Press and Touchstone.
Apple Inc. has its principal place of business in Cupertino, Calif. Among many other businesses, Apple distributes e-books through its iBookstore.
The proposed settlement, along with the department's competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register, consistent with the requirements of the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act. Any person may submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60-days of its publication to John R. Read, Chief, Litigation III Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street, N.W., 4th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20530. These comments will be published either in the Federal Register or, with the permission of the court, will be posted electronically on the department's website. At the conclusion of the 60-day comment period, the court may enter the final judgment upon a finding that it serves the public interest.
FACT SHEET ON U.S. ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Government Assistance to Syria
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
The United States supports the Syrian people’s aspirations for a Syrian-led transition to a democratic, inclusive, and peaceful Syria. The United Nations estimates that more than 60,000 Syrians have been killed in the nearly two years since unrest and violence began. In the last month alone, the number of Syrians seeking refuge in neighboring countries has risen sharply. More than 700,000 Syrians have registered as refugees since the crisis began, or are awaiting registration in neighboring countries while, inside Syria, an additional 2.5 million people remain internally displaced and 4 million people are in need of assistance. The Syrian regime has sacrificed all legitimacy in a vicious effort to cling to power. U.S. assistance includes vigorous diplomatic support of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, $365 million in humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict, and over $50 million nonlethal support for local opposition councils and civil society inside Syria.
Diplomatic Support
The United States continues to support the Syrian people as the Syrian Opposition Coalition sets a course toward the peaceful, democratic, inclusive future that the people of Syria deserve. We are working with other nations to further isolate the regime and support the Syrian people’s calls for President Assad to step down. We and our international partners actively supported the efforts of the Syrian people to launch the Syrian Opposition Coalition in Doha in November 2012 and, on December 11, 2012, President Obama recognized the Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The Coalition – which includes opponents of the Assad regime from across the political and ethno-sectarian spectrum – has made real progress since its founding, and is stepping up its outreach to women, minorities, religious leaders and civil society. The Coalition has also begun to develop formal structures and plans for a democratic political transition that protects the rights, the dignity, and the aspirations of all Syrians. In Paris on January 28, more than 50 countries supporting the Syrian opposition gathered to reaffirm their commitment to provide support to the Syrian Opposition Coalition and agreed on the urgent need to increase and improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including for areas outside of regime control. On February 2, Vice President Biden met with Syrian Opposition Coalition President al-Khatib in Munich. The Vice President praised al-Khatib’s personal courage and leadership of the Coalition and urged al-Khatib to continue his efforts to maintain unity among the SOC leadership, to isolate extremist elements within the broader opposition, and to reach out to – and be inclusive of – a broad range of communities inside Syria.
Humanitarian Assistance
The United States, along with the international community, is tirelessly working to provide humanitarian aid to the innocent civilians affected by the brutal conflict in Syria. In advance of the International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria in Kuwait, President Obama announced an additional $155 million in humanitarian assistance for those suffering as a result of the Assad regime’s brutality. This new funding includes $10 million in humanitarian assistance to provide flour to bakeries in Aleppo previously announced on January 25.
With this new assistance, U.S. humanitarian assistance totals $365 million to help more than 1.5 million people inside Syria and the more than half a million people who have fled to the safety of neighboring countries. Over $200 million of this total goes to address critical needs inside Syria. Our assistance is providing emergency medical care and medical supplies, food aid, and winterization supplies like blankets and heaters for those affected by the crisis, both inside Syria and those now seeking refuge.
U.S. humanitarian aid is being provided throughout all 14 governorates of Syria on the basis of need. It is not branded in order to ensure the safety of aid recipients and humanitarian aid providers as well as to ensure that aid distribution is not thwarted en route. The United States is committed to using all channels to reach affected Syrians throughout the country and is working through UN, NGO, and community-based partners, as well as with the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s Assistance Coordination Unit. The United States is also working closely with country partners in the region who have generously opened their borders.
Transition Support to the Unarmed Opposition
The United States is also providing over $50 million in nonlethal support to the unarmed Syrian opposition, including emergent local and national democratic institutions, and nonsectarian civic groups. This assistance includes training and equipment to build the capacity of a nationwide network of ethnically and religiously diverse civilian activists to link Syrian citizens with nascent governance structures. This support enhances the information security of Syrian activists, human rights organizations, and media outlets, empowers women leaders to play a more active role in transition planning and peace negotiations, and supports the psycho-social rehabilitation of Syrian refugees who are victims of torture and war. Activities sponsored by these funds enable local councils and grassroots organizations to respond to the needs of their communities and promotes constructive participation in the country’s political transition.
Over 4,000 major pieces of equipment have been provided, mostly to Damascus, Aleppo, and other areas with significant opposition presence, including communications and computer equipment, as well as generators and medical supplies, to support unarmed Syrian opposition groups strengthen civil society, media, and democratic transition planning.
Support to civil society groups and local councils includes efforts to train, equip, and build the capacity of nearly 1,500 grassroots activists, including women and youth, from over 100 opposition councils and organizations in 10 different regions of Syria; develop groups’ abilities to mobilize citizens, share information, provide community services, and undertake civic functions; support interreligious and communal dialogues and encouraging citizen participation in shaping the Syrian transition; and supporting human rights documentation and transitional justice workshops while laying the foundation for future accountability efforts.
Support to independent media projects includes assistance to community radio stations providing information for refugees about available services; training for networks of citizen journalists, bloggers, and cyberactivists to support their documentation, packaging, and dissemination of information on developments in Syria; and technical assistance and equipment to enhance the information and communications security of Syrian activists within Syria.
Assistance in support of democratic transition planning includes efforts to link unarmed opposition elements inside Syria with global supporters; support for the independent Syria Justice and Accountability Center to document human rights abuses and coordinate transitional justice and accountability efforts; technical assistance to emerging political parties; and facilitating nonsectarian Syrian activists’ participation in political and economic transition planning to promote the business community’s engagement in transition processes.
U.S. Government Assistance to Syria
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
The United States supports the Syrian people’s aspirations for a Syrian-led transition to a democratic, inclusive, and peaceful Syria. The United Nations estimates that more than 60,000 Syrians have been killed in the nearly two years since unrest and violence began. In the last month alone, the number of Syrians seeking refuge in neighboring countries has risen sharply. More than 700,000 Syrians have registered as refugees since the crisis began, or are awaiting registration in neighboring countries while, inside Syria, an additional 2.5 million people remain internally displaced and 4 million people are in need of assistance. The Syrian regime has sacrificed all legitimacy in a vicious effort to cling to power. U.S. assistance includes vigorous diplomatic support of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, $365 million in humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict, and over $50 million nonlethal support for local opposition councils and civil society inside Syria.
Diplomatic Support
The United States continues to support the Syrian people as the Syrian Opposition Coalition sets a course toward the peaceful, democratic, inclusive future that the people of Syria deserve. We are working with other nations to further isolate the regime and support the Syrian people’s calls for President Assad to step down. We and our international partners actively supported the efforts of the Syrian people to launch the Syrian Opposition Coalition in Doha in November 2012 and, on December 11, 2012, President Obama recognized the Coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The Coalition – which includes opponents of the Assad regime from across the political and ethno-sectarian spectrum – has made real progress since its founding, and is stepping up its outreach to women, minorities, religious leaders and civil society. The Coalition has also begun to develop formal structures and plans for a democratic political transition that protects the rights, the dignity, and the aspirations of all Syrians. In Paris on January 28, more than 50 countries supporting the Syrian opposition gathered to reaffirm their commitment to provide support to the Syrian Opposition Coalition and agreed on the urgent need to increase and improve the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including for areas outside of regime control. On February 2, Vice President Biden met with Syrian Opposition Coalition President al-Khatib in Munich. The Vice President praised al-Khatib’s personal courage and leadership of the Coalition and urged al-Khatib to continue his efforts to maintain unity among the SOC leadership, to isolate extremist elements within the broader opposition, and to reach out to – and be inclusive of – a broad range of communities inside Syria.
Humanitarian Assistance
The United States, along with the international community, is tirelessly working to provide humanitarian aid to the innocent civilians affected by the brutal conflict in Syria. In advance of the International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria in Kuwait, President Obama announced an additional $155 million in humanitarian assistance for those suffering as a result of the Assad regime’s brutality. This new funding includes $10 million in humanitarian assistance to provide flour to bakeries in Aleppo previously announced on January 25.
With this new assistance, U.S. humanitarian assistance totals $365 million to help more than 1.5 million people inside Syria and the more than half a million people who have fled to the safety of neighboring countries. Over $200 million of this total goes to address critical needs inside Syria. Our assistance is providing emergency medical care and medical supplies, food aid, and winterization supplies like blankets and heaters for those affected by the crisis, both inside Syria and those now seeking refuge.
U.S. humanitarian aid is being provided throughout all 14 governorates of Syria on the basis of need. It is not branded in order to ensure the safety of aid recipients and humanitarian aid providers as well as to ensure that aid distribution is not thwarted en route. The United States is committed to using all channels to reach affected Syrians throughout the country and is working through UN, NGO, and community-based partners, as well as with the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s Assistance Coordination Unit. The United States is also working closely with country partners in the region who have generously opened their borders.
Transition Support to the Unarmed Opposition
The United States is also providing over $50 million in nonlethal support to the unarmed Syrian opposition, including emergent local and national democratic institutions, and nonsectarian civic groups. This assistance includes training and equipment to build the capacity of a nationwide network of ethnically and religiously diverse civilian activists to link Syrian citizens with nascent governance structures. This support enhances the information security of Syrian activists, human rights organizations, and media outlets, empowers women leaders to play a more active role in transition planning and peace negotiations, and supports the psycho-social rehabilitation of Syrian refugees who are victims of torture and war. Activities sponsored by these funds enable local councils and grassroots organizations to respond to the needs of their communities and promotes constructive participation in the country’s political transition.
Over 4,000 major pieces of equipment have been provided, mostly to Damascus, Aleppo, and other areas with significant opposition presence, including communications and computer equipment, as well as generators and medical supplies, to support unarmed Syrian opposition groups strengthen civil society, media, and democratic transition planning.
Support to civil society groups and local councils includes efforts to train, equip, and build the capacity of nearly 1,500 grassroots activists, including women and youth, from over 100 opposition councils and organizations in 10 different regions of Syria; develop groups’ abilities to mobilize citizens, share information, provide community services, and undertake civic functions; support interreligious and communal dialogues and encouraging citizen participation in shaping the Syrian transition; and supporting human rights documentation and transitional justice workshops while laying the foundation for future accountability efforts.
Support to independent media projects includes assistance to community radio stations providing information for refugees about available services; training for networks of citizen journalists, bloggers, and cyberactivists to support their documentation, packaging, and dissemination of information on developments in Syria; and technical assistance and equipment to enhance the information and communications security of Syrian activists within Syria.
Assistance in support of democratic transition planning includes efforts to link unarmed opposition elements inside Syria with global supporters; support for the independent Syria Justice and Accountability Center to document human rights abuses and coordinate transitional justice and accountability efforts; technical assistance to emerging political parties; and facilitating nonsectarian Syrian activists’ participation in political and economic transition planning to promote the business community’s engagement in transition processes.
U.S. EXPORTS REACH NEW ANNUAL RECORD OF NEALY $2.2 TRILLION
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
U.S. Exports Reach $186.4 Billion in December, Rise to Record Annual Total of Nearly $2.2 Trillion in 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States exported $186.4 billion in goods and services in December 2012, according to data released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Commerce Department.
U.S. exports of goods and services in 2012 reached a record annual total of nearly $2.2 trillion ($2.195 trillion), which is 39.1 percent above the level of exports in 2009. Over the past 12 months, exports have been growing at an annualized rate of 11.6 percent when compared to 2009.
"Today’s record-breaking numbers show that U.S. exports in 2012 continued on a historic path of growth," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of our exporters, America is making steady progress towards meeting President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling exports. Over the past year, U.S. companies big and small have exported almost $2.2 trillion worth of goods and services, fueled by the power of American innovation."
"But we cannot stop here. More can and must be done to increase international sales and create jobs in the United States. Through our nationwide Global Access for Small Business initiative, Ex-Im Bank is reaching out locally to more small and medium-sized businesses to provide them with the export financing and training they need to succeed globally," Hochberg said.
Over the last 12 months, among the major export markets (i.e., markets with at least $6 billion in annual imports of U.S. goods), the countries with the largest annualized increase in U.S. goods purchases, when compared to 2009, occurred in Panama (52.0 percent), Chile (42.2 percent), Russia (41.4 percent), Peru (37.9 percent), Venezuela (37.6 percent), Argentina (36.2 percent), United Arab Emirates (36.0 percent), Hong Kong (33.4 percent), Turkey (32.9 percent) and Columbia (31.7 percent).
About Ex-Im Bank
Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. In the past five years (from Fiscal Year 2008), Ex-Im Bank has earned for U.S. taxpayers nearly $1.6 billion above the cost of operations. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees, export-credit insurance and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.
Ex-Im Bank approved nearly $35.8 billion in total authorizations in FY 2012 – an all-time Ex-Im record. This total includes more than $6.1 billion directly supporting small-business export sales – also an Ex-Im record. Ex-Im Bank's total authorizations are supporting an estimated $50 billion in U.S. export sales and approximately 255,000 American jobs in communities across the country.
U.S. Exports Reach $186.4 Billion in December, Rise to Record Annual Total of Nearly $2.2 Trillion in 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States exported $186.4 billion in goods and services in December 2012, according to data released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Commerce Department.
U.S. exports of goods and services in 2012 reached a record annual total of nearly $2.2 trillion ($2.195 trillion), which is 39.1 percent above the level of exports in 2009. Over the past 12 months, exports have been growing at an annualized rate of 11.6 percent when compared to 2009.
"Today’s record-breaking numbers show that U.S. exports in 2012 continued on a historic path of growth," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of our exporters, America is making steady progress towards meeting President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling exports. Over the past year, U.S. companies big and small have exported almost $2.2 trillion worth of goods and services, fueled by the power of American innovation."
"But we cannot stop here. More can and must be done to increase international sales and create jobs in the United States. Through our nationwide Global Access for Small Business initiative, Ex-Im Bank is reaching out locally to more small and medium-sized businesses to provide them with the export financing and training they need to succeed globally," Hochberg said.
Over the last 12 months, among the major export markets (i.e., markets with at least $6 billion in annual imports of U.S. goods), the countries with the largest annualized increase in U.S. goods purchases, when compared to 2009, occurred in Panama (52.0 percent), Chile (42.2 percent), Russia (41.4 percent), Peru (37.9 percent), Venezuela (37.6 percent), Argentina (36.2 percent), United Arab Emirates (36.0 percent), Hong Kong (33.4 percent), Turkey (32.9 percent) and Columbia (31.7 percent).
About Ex-Im Bank
Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing at no cost to American taxpayers. In the past five years (from Fiscal Year 2008), Ex-Im Bank has earned for U.S. taxpayers nearly $1.6 billion above the cost of operations. The Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms, including working capital guarantees, export-credit insurance and financing to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.
Ex-Im Bank approved nearly $35.8 billion in total authorizations in FY 2012 – an all-time Ex-Im record. This total includes more than $6.1 billion directly supporting small-business export sales – also an Ex-Im record. Ex-Im Bank's total authorizations are supporting an estimated $50 billion in U.S. export sales and approximately 255,000 American jobs in communities across the country.
RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS OF USS TENNESSEE
FROM: U.S. NAVY
The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) returns to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Tennessee deployed for operations more than three months ago. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class James Kimber (Released) 130206-N-FG395-167
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY ON FASTER BIOMASS TO FUELS CONVERSION
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| Credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory |
New Process Speeds Conversion of Biomass to Fuels
Fuels synthesis insight can reduce costs and greenhouse gases
LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO, February 7, 2013—Scientists made a major step forward recently towards transforming biomass-derived molecules into fuels. The team led by Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers elucidated the chemical mechanism of the critical steps, which can be performed under relatively mild, energy-efficient conditions. The journal Catalysis Science & Technology published the research.
Trash to Treasure
"Efficient conversion of non-food biomass into fuels and chemical feedstocks could reduce society’s dependence on foreign oil and ensure the long-term availability of renewable materials for consumer products," said John Gordon, one of the senior Los Alamos scientists on the project.
"Also, efficient conversion could decrease the production of greenhouse gases. However, current technologies to convert biomass into fuels require extreme conditions of high temperatures and high pressures, both of which make the conversion process prohibitively expensive."
The study provides important insight into a critical step in biomass fuels synthesis and it may enable the design of better, non-precious-metal catalysts and processes for large-scale transformation of biomass into fuels and commodity chemicals.
The Ring of Simplicity
For more than a century, chemists focused on a "more is better" approach, adding functionality to molecules, not removing it. For this breakthrough, however, researchers applied the opposite strategy and aimed for simplicity, opening up a component of the molecule to make it easier to transform. They perfected a method for "direct-ring opening" of the furan rings, which are made of four carbons and one oxygen atom, and that are ubiquitous in biomass-derived fuel precursors.
Opening these rings into linear chains is a necessary step in the production of energy-dense fuels, said Gordon, because these linear chains can then be reduced and deoxygenated into alkanes used in gasoline and diesel fuel. The reaction requires relatively mild conditions using the common reagent hydrochloric acid as a catalyst.
The researchers tested the process on several biomass-derived molecules, and they performed calculations to study the selectivity and mechanism of reaction. This information is key to designing better catalysts and processes for biomass conversion.
The research team
The Los Alamos researchers include Christopher Waidmann of Nuclear and Radiochemistry; John Gordon of Inorganic, Isotope and Actinide Chemistry; Aaron Pierpont, Enrique Batista, and Richard Martin of Physics and Chemistry of Materials; L. A. "Pete" Silks and Ruilian Wu of Bioenergy and Biome Sciences. The Los Alamos Laboratory Research and Development program funded the work.
Image caption: Artist’s conception of the process: Researchers open up a component of the biofuel molecule, called a furan ring, to make it easier to chemically alter. Opening these rings into linear chains is a necessary step in the production of energy-dense fuels, so these linear chains can then be converted into alkanes used in gasoline and diesel fuel. Image by Josh Smith, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
U.S.-SAINT LUCIA RELATIONS
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| Map: Saint Lucia. Credit: CIA World Factbook. |
The United States and Saint Lucia have a cooperative relationship. The United States supports the Saint Lucian Government's efforts to expand its economic base and improve the lives of its citizens. Saint Lucia has cooperated with the United States on security concerns. Saint Lucia and the United States share an interest in combating international crime and narcotics trafficking. Because of Saint Lucia's geographical location, it is an appealing transit point for narcotraffickers. In response to this threat, Saint Lucia has concluded various bilateral treaties with the United States, including a maritime law enforcement agreement (subsequently amended to include overflight and order-to-land provisions), a mutual legal assistance treaty, and an extradition treaty.
The United States maintains no diplomatic presence in Saint Lucia. The Ambassador and Embassy officers are resident in Barbados but travel regularly to Saint Lucia.
U.S. Assistance to Saint Lucia
St. Lucia is an active participant in the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, a partnership between the United States and the countries of the Caribbean dedicated to increasing citizen security throughout the region. The Peace Corps, whose Eastern Caribbean regional headquarters is located in Saint Lucia, has 22 volunteers in Saint Lucia, working primarily in business development, education, and health. In addition, Saint Lucia benefits from U.S. military exercises and humanitarian civic action construction projects.
Bilateral Economic Relations
Saint Lucia's economy depends primarily on revenue from tourism. More visitors to Saint Lucia are from the United States than any other country. Saint Lucia is a beneficiary of the Caribbean Basin Initiative, which aims to facilitate the economic development and export diversification of the Caribbean Basin economies by providing beneficiary countries with duty-free access to the U.S. market for most goods. The single most significant foreign investment in Saint Lucia is U.S.-based Hess Oil's large petroleum storage and transshipment terminal. Saint Lucia does not have a bilateral investment treaty with the United States.
Saint Lucia's Membership in International Organizations
Saint Lucia's foreign relations emphasize mutual economic cooperation and trade and investment. The country seeks to conduct its foreign policy chiefly through its membership in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. Saint Lucia and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization of American States, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization
Saint Lucia Locator Map. Credit: CIA World FactbookADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
The island, with its fine natural harbor at Castries, was contested between England and France throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries (changing possession 14 times); it was finally ceded to the UK in 1814. Even after the abolition of slavery on its plantations in 1834, Saint Lucia remained an agricultural island, dedicated to producing tropical commodity crops. Self-government was granted in 1967 and independence in 1979.
Population: 162,178 (July 2012 est.)
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